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Behold, The Track-Only McLaren Senna GTR: Endless Downforce And Over 800bhp

How do you make one of the most track focussed cars in the world even more track focussed? Well for starters you could take away its ability to drive on the public road, then ‘reprofile’ its wing. As you can see from the photos scattered across this post, that latter change has made an incredible difference.

This is the McLaren Senna GTR, a car that’s been looked forward to since its first mention in 2018 as a concept, and it boasts some incredible upgrades compared to its road-going sister. 814bhp is one of them, as is what seems to be an infinite number of aerodynamic additions to the body. And do I need to say it again? Look at that wing!

“Compared to the standard McLaren Senna wing fitted to the 2018 GTR Concept, the wing of the McLaren Senna GTR has been reprofiled and relocated.”

You can say that again.

The diffusor at the rear which almost matches the size of the car itself, adds even more kilograms pulling the car against the floor: North of 1,000kg at least says McLaren. That’s 200kg more than the road car, and quickly approaching the performance of the Aston Martin Valkyrie and AMG One. But don’t think that this increased performance is going to be difficult to harness when it comes to the tarmac of your favourite track.

McLaren boasts that 95% of its performance can be squeezed out of this machine by 95% of drivers. This is what I call the Nissan GTR effect, and is something that a lot of enthusiasts don’t like. But isn’t a fast car that we can all drive something that we all strive for? Maybe not at a price of £1.3 million, but if you do ever get the chance to get behind the wheel, you might not have to wear an incontinence pad.

Drivability is at the top of the GTR’s list of importance then. Therefore, it’s no surprise that it comes with a host of modes to match almost any driving style and weather. Unlike the original Senna though, there is no adjustable ride height. This is down to it using a similar suspension system to the McLaren 720S racecar. But that’s fine, because how often do you find a speed bump at Laguna Seca or Silverstone?

Where the 720S racecar has to abide by rules, the Senna GTR is free to wear larger and wider 19″ wheels with bigger brakes tucked behind them, and that big spoiler doubles up as an airbrake to compliment the already serious braking power. But don’t expect any niceties inside. There is no touch screen, no hideaway dials, and the front windows are made of plastic. And you can say goodbye to those leg flashing  lower door windows. But how else is the British company supposed to shed 10kg while adding features such as fire extinguishers, data loggers and pit radios, let alone a wider (and lower) chassis?

Fancy a go? Only 75 will be made at £1.3 million each. Really, you can afford it? Well too bad, they’re all sold.

Alex Harrington

Alex started racing at a young age so certainly knows his way around a car and a track. He can just about put a sentence together too, which helps. He has a great interest in the latest models, but would throw all of his money at a rusty old French classic and a 300ZX. Contact: [email protected]

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